Washing machine



Sept. 19, 1933. F CASE 1 1,927,433

WASHING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRA/vw M (455 ATTORNEY F. M. CASE WASHING MACHINE Sept. 19, 1933.

Filed May 25. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRANCIS M. 6455 B ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 19, 1933 NETED STATES ATENT QFFIC 1,927,433 WASHING MACHINE ration of Ohio Application May 23, 1929. Serial No. 365,289

'1 Claims. (Cl. 68-37) The present invention has for an object to provide an improved washing machine. The invention has been developed in connection with the design of a washing machine intended more especially for family use and operating on the principle of causing a surging of the washing water together with an agitation of the water by passing air therethrough intermittently.

The nature and objects of the invention will be better understood from a description of a particular embodiment thereof for the purpose of which description reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which- Figure 1 is a central sectional view of a washing machine constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same.

The machine shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention comprises a sheet metal tub 5 with a clothes container 6 suspended centrally therein on three spaced brackets 7, said clothes container having an imperforate cylindrical side wall and a perforate bottom 8 within which and spaced therefrom is a false bottom consisting of a perforated plate 9.

The tub is provided with a trussed sheet metal cover 10 in which is mounted an operating motor 11 on the shaft of which is carried a fan 12 operative to create a suction in the clothes container and thereby cause a surging of the water between the clothes container and the portion of the tub exterior thereto.

As shown, the tub is reinforced around its upper outer edge by a metal band 15 and it is provided with a rubber packing ring 16 formed around the reinforced upper edge. On this rub- 40 her packing ring the cover 10 rests to provide a substantially air-tight joint. The cover shown as of sheet metal comprises a main cup-shaped or crowned disc which is reinforced by a substantially flat disc 17 extending across the cover and secured thereto, as by spot welding, as indicated at 18, to form a truss-like structure. The rigidity of the cover is further increased by a cupped disc 19 spot welded to the outer cover member, as 50 indicated at 20, and to the trussing disc 17, as

indicated at 21. The shaft 23 of the motor 11 extends through a spring plate 37, which is normally curved upward at the ends through which the hold down screws pass. These screws cause pressure to be exerted on the felt packing washer 24 to prevent moisture from passing upward into the motor.

The fan 12 carried by the motor shaft 23 is designed to create suction in the clothes container and to deliver the air withdrawn therefrom to the tub outside of the clothes container. A cover 25 for the clothes container is carried by the tub cover in spaced relation thereto to provide a fan chamber for the fan 12. It is suitably crowned and secured to spacing blocks 27 and at its outer edge carries a flexible rubber packing ring 28 engaging the upper edge of the clothes container and forming a substantially air-tight connection. The disc 25 is centrally apertured at 29 and the aperture closed by a screen 30. In order to prevent the closing of the opening 29 in the event of ballooningof the clothes a guard 31 is provided, said guard being of cup-shape with a number of openings 32 in its bottom face and a number of openings 33 around its periphery in the vertical cylindrical portion thereof as clearly shown in the drawings.

For convenience in handling the motor is provided with a suitable handle 35 and the tub is provided with a pair of oppositely positioned handles 36.

In operation the clothes being placed in the central clothes container, the tub is filled with water up to the level indicated by the water line 37 in Fig. l and the motor is then started. The fan 12 creates a suflicient suction to cause the water to surge from the tub 5 into the clothes container 6 until the Water level in the tub falls to below the bottom of the clothes container whereupon, due to the continuing suction, air is drawn from the tub in through the bottom of the clothes container to further agitate the water and clothes within the container. The inrush of air as the water seal is thus broken breaks or reduces the vacuum within the clothes container and permits the water to surge" back through the bottom of the container into the exterior tub, but after a few seconds the suction withinthe clothes container is again built up and the inrush of water and then air is repeated. During the continued operation of the water this action. is repeated again and again providing the desired surging of the water and intermittent agitation of the water by an inrush of air.

The motor is ordinarily but not necessarily run continuously at a uniform speed, it being ordinarily unnecessary to provide an intermittent action of the motor to effect the surging for the reason that the breaking of the vacuum upon the inrush of air sufficiently permits the outward surge of the water.

The foregoing particular description isillustrative merely and is not intended as defining the limits of the invention.

I claim:

1. A washing machine comprising a tub, a clothes container within the tub and in spaced relation thereto, said container having an opening at the bottom thereof, portions of the bottom extending inwardly from the side walls, a false bottom for said container, said false bottom having perforations therein, a removable cover for said clothes container having a central opening therethrough, a cover for said tub, means connecting the two said covers together in spacedapart relation, the spaced-apart covers forming a space continuous with the space between the container and the tub, a suction fan mounted within the space between the two covers and above the opening in the clothes container cover for exhausting air from the container and forcing the same down between the space between the container and the tub.

2. In a washing machine, the combination of a tub, a clothes container positioned within said tub and in spaced relation thereto, said clothes container having a perforated bottom, a cover detachably connected to the clothes container, said cover having an opening therein, said cover having a resilient member associated therewith, said resilient member being adapted to make an air-tight connection between the edges of said container and the cover, a perforated guard member for said cover extending down in the clothes container, a cover'for the tub, means for insuring an air-tight connection between the tub cover and the tub, means for securing the tub cover to the container cover in spaced-apart relation to form a fan chamber between the two covers, there being an outlet from the fan chamber, a suction fan positioned within said fan chamber and an electric motor carried by the tub cover for operating said fan.

3. In a washing machine, the combination of a tub, a clothes container having imperforate sides and a perforate bottom, said container being positioned within the tuband in spaced relation thereto, an air-tight cover for the tub, a cover detachably connected. to the container, said container cover being connected to the tub cover and spaced from the latter, means providing an air-tight engagement of the container by its cover, means providing a fan chamber between said covers, an outlet opening in the fan chamber, the container cover being provided with a cupshaped guard extending toward the interior of the container chamber, said container cover and its guard having openings affording communication between the fan chamber and the interior of the container, the spaced apart covers providing an air conduit between the fan chamber outlet opening and the space between the tub and container, a suction fan in said fan chamber and means for operating the same.

4. A washing machine comprising a tub; a clothes container having imperforate sides and a perforate bottom, said tub and container being arranged in spaced relation with the container within the tub; a trussed cover for the tub comprising a cupped-shaped central member and a transverse member spanning said cupped member; a separable cover for said clothes container connected to said transverse member and spaced from the latter to form a fan chamber having an inlet opening from the interior of said container and an outlet to the space between the tub and container; a suction fan mounted in said fan chamber to exhaust air from the container and means for operating same; and a perforated cupped-shaped guard depending from said container cover into the interior of the container chamber and surrounding the inlet opening to the fan chamber.

5. In a washing machine, the combination of a tub, a substantially air-tight cover therefor, a clothes container supported within the tub and in spaced relation thereto, there being an opening in the bottom of the container, a separable cover for the container, in spaced relation to the tub cover, there being an opening in the container cover, means for exhausting air through the opening in the cover into the space between the tub and container, and a flexible strip covering the joint between the container cover and the container, said strip having flat portions, the two sides of which are exposed respectively to the atmosphere inside and outside the container.

6. A washing machine comprising a tub, a clothes container within the tub and in spaced relation thereto, the container having an opening in the base, a cover detachably connected to said container, said cover having an opening in the central portion, a rubber ring associated with said container cover for making an air-tight connection between the cover and the container, 2. cover member for said tub, said cover member being connected to the clothes container cover and spaced from the latter to form a fan chamber between the two covers, there being an outlet from the fan chamber, a suction fan mounted in said fan chamber to exhaust air from the container, and means for operating the fan.

7. In a washing machine, the combination of a tub, an open-top clothes container fixedly supported therein and in spaced relation thereto, there being an opening in the bottom of said container, and a unitary member comprising, a cover for the tub and a cover for the container, said covers having means for making detachable tight connections with the tub and container respectively, said container cover also having an opening therein, and means for exhausting air through the opening in the container cover into the space surrounding the container.

FRANCIS M. CASE. 

